Ornamental link for telescoping expansible linkage



2,889,681 ORNAMENTAL LINK FOR TELx-:scopms EXPANSIBLE': LINKAGE: A Filed June 7, 1955 June 9, 1959 K. c. AuGENsTElN 2 Sheets-Shes?. l

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ATTORNEYS June 9, 1959 K. c. AUGENsTElN 2,889,681

ORNAMENTAL LINK Foa TELEscoPING EXPANSIBLE LINKAGE Filed June 7, 1955 2 sheets-sheet 2 FIG. Il

24 Q 2?' Fles f3 v INVENToR. mlm

ATTOR N EYS ORNAMENTAL LINK FOR TELESCOPING EHANSRLE LINKAGE Karl C. Augenstein, Cranston, RJ., assignor to Speidel Corporation, Providence, RJ., a corporation of Rhode Island Application June 7, 1955, Serial No. 513,735

1 Claim. (Cl. 59-S2) This invention relates to an expansible linkage.

arent() One object of the present invention is to provide, in

a telescopical type expansible linkage having pairs of telescopical links, an improved means for detachably attaching such pairs of links to each other which facilitates the manufacture of such linkage, which permits a substantial saving in material and which renders attachment and detachment of the pairs of links easier.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel type of ornamental shell for a link in an expansible linkage, whereby the top of such link is given the appearance of a pliable ornamental material such as leather or artificial leather.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide an improved means for mounting such pliable material in the link whereby it does not wrinkle or otherwise become deformed or accidentally detached.

A still further object is to provide an improved ornamental shell and an improved connecting means between pairs of telescopical links in an expansible linkage.

j Other objects will be apparent to persons skilled in the art from a consideration of the following description and the accompanying drawings.

ln the drawings:

Fig. l is a perspective view showing three pairs of links of the linkage of the present invention with the novel ornamental shell of the present invention removed from the outer link of one of the pairs, with the ornamental shell of the outer link of another pair exploded and with the ornamental shell of the outer link of the third pair, shown in position on such outer link.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the underside of one of the outer links showing one end thereof in detail.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the outer link of Fig. 2 with the other end thereof shown in detail.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the inner links.

Fig. 5 is a section taken along the line 5-5 of Fig. l with the spring removed.

Fig. 6 is a section taken along the lines 6 6 of Figs. 1 and 7 with the linkage slightly expanded.

Fig. 7 is a section taken along the line 7-7 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a section taken along the line 8 8 0f Fig. 6.

Fig. 9 shows the inner link of one of the pairs of links in cross section with one of the clip ends thereof forced away from the other clip end thereof so that such inner link may be detached from the outer link of the next adjacent pair of links.

Fig. l0 is a side view of the backing plate for holding the leather strip against wrinkling or otherwise becoming misshapened and from being accidentally detached.

Fig. ll is a side view of the linkage of Fig. l.

The linkage of the present invention comprises a series of pairs of telescopical links, each pair of links comprising an outer link 1 and an inner link 2 telescopically received in such outer link and attached to the outer link of the next adjacent pair of links as described hereafter. Each outer link 1 has attached thereto an ornamental shell which comprises a backing plate 4, a strip of leather ice j 2 5 and a frame 6 for attaching the backing plate 4 and the strip 5 to the top or base plate 7 of outer link 1.

Each outer link has a top wall or base plate 7 and side walls 8, which extend inwardly into anges 9. The ends of anges 9 extend into upwardly bent tabs 10. The ends of side walls 8 have inwardly turned prongs 11 the ends 12 of which are spaced from each other.

Telescopically received in each outer link 1 is an inner link 2 which comprises a flattened tube of spring steel the ends 24 and 25 of which come together in the yform of a clip, whereby the inner link 2 of each pair of links may be clipped to prongs 11 of the outer link of an adjacent pair of links, as shown. The attened tube comprising inner link 2 has a top wall 20, a bottom wall 21, and end walls 23 and 26, the end wall 23 being in the form of a hook so as to produce the clip effect described above. The bottom wall 21 is narrower than the top wall 20 and the end wall 26, a shoulder 22 being formed at the juncture of the narrower bottom wall 21 and the wider end wa1126. A spring 30 is biased between end wall 26 and upwardly bent tabs 10 of outer link 1. Springs 3i) normally urge inner link 2 telescopically into outer link 1 to retract the linkage, and the linkage is thus normally maintained in retracted position. When the ends of the linkage are pulled the inner links are pulled longitudinally of the outer links against the force of springs 30 as shown in Fig. 6.

One of the clip ends 25 of inner link 2 is inset at 27 to accommodate the other clip end 24. This inset produces a stronger and more positive clipping action. It makes the inner link more rigid and resistant to being deformed by pulling and pushing forces applied to the ends thereof.

The use of the prongs 11 on the outer link 1 hasI certain advantages over the use of a continuous strip of material as shown in U.S. Patent No. 1,67 0,132 because outer links with such prongs are easier to stamp out and hence are easier to manufacture and require less material ywith a resulting saving in production cost.

Attached to the top of each outer link is a strip of leather or other pliable ornamental material 5 which is anchored to a backing plate 4, the backing plate 4 and leather strip 5 both being attached to the base plate or top wall 7 of outer link 1 by means of the frame 6.

The backing plate 4 comprises a strip of metal the central portion of which is bulged upwardly and the edges 47 of which have prongs 43 with sharp ends 48 extending upwardly therefrom, as shown, so that the backing plate 4 has the shape of an inverted, foursided trough or pan with at sloped side walls 40 and flat top wall 41 and with the edges thereof bent upwardly into prongs 43. Top wall 41 and sloped side walls 40 come together at corners 44 and the sloped side walls are joined to corners 44a.

The prongs 43 extend upwardlyv into the edge portions of the leather strip 5 holding the strip firmly against the surface of the plate 4 and causing it to assume the inverted trough or pan shape of the backing plate 4, whereby the leather strip is held firmly against wrinkling or otherwise becoming disformed or from being laccidentally detached.

The anchor plate 4 with the leather strip 5 attached thereto, is attached to the top wall or base plate 7 of the outer link 1 with the concave surface of the anchor plate 4 adjacent to the top surface of the upper wall 7, as shown, by means of a frame member 6 having an aperture 51 in the top frame wall 52 thereof and anges 54 which extend downwardly from the sides of frame wall 52 along the outside of the side walls 8 of outer link 1 and then bend inwardly under the flanges 9, as shown. The ends of upper frame wall 52 have end flanges 53 eX- tending downwardly along the outside of the end edges of upper wall or base plate 7 of the outer link 1. One edge of the lower portion of each side flange S4 is sloped inwardly at, 57 so that when it is bent under ange 9 it leaves the hooked portion 53 of the inner link exposed whereby the inner link can be attached and detached from its adjacent outer link. One edge of each ilange 54 has a tab 56 and the opposite edge has a recess 5S for receiving the tab 56 of the frame of the next adjacent outer link.

When the frame 6 is in place, the upper frame wall 52 thereof lies over the surface of the edge portion of the leather strip which is opposite to the portion of the lower surface of such strip into which prongs 43 extend, as shown in Fig. 5. Consequently, the upper frame wall 52 lies over the pointed ends of prongs 43, preferably touching the sharp points thereof, as shown, whereby backing plate 4 is held lirmly against the upper surface of top wall or base plate 7 of outer link 1 and leather strip 5 is locked and pressed onto prongs 43, as shown. Upper frame wall 52 also serves to press the edge portions ofthe strip S downwardly so that the strip is forced to maintain the shape of backing plate 4 aud is at all times held lirmly thereagainst. It is apparent from Fig. 5 and Fig. 1 that the leather strip 5 when so held on plate 4 cannot wrinkle or accidentally pull away from the backing plate 4, which is rigid. Consequently, the -arrangement described prevents leather strip 5 from wrinkling or otherwise becoming deformed and from being accidentally detached, while at the same time permitting the leather to be visible when viewed from the top of the bracelet in an attractive frame.

Although in the figures prongs 43 are not crimped after they enter the leather strip 5, they may be crimped to insure a strong attachment of the backing plate to leather strip 5, especially where there is no upper frame wall 52 directly over the tips of the prongs, as in the Figures. It is understood that applicants novel ornamental shell attachment can be attached to any known type of expansible linkage and that instead of flanges 54 any type of connecting tabs can be used, Furthermore the prongs 43 may be shorter than the thickness of strip 5 or longer than such thickness providing in the latter case that the prongs are crimped.

Also, the particular shape of backing plate 4 is not critical although it is preferred that it bulges upwardly at the middle so as to give the leather strip a curvature.

While l have shown and described certain desirable embodiments of the invention, it is to be understood that this disclosure is for the purpose of illustration only and that various changes in shape, proportion and arrangement of parts and the substitution of equivalent elements may be made Without departing from the spirit and scopeof the invention as set forth in the appended claim.

I claim: In 4an expansible bracelet linkage, a link body having an upper face, an anchor plate on top of said upper face of said link body, a sheet of pliable ornamental material on top of said plate, a frame member having an opening over said sheet and a frame flange bordering said opening and overlying a marginal portion of said sheet, said anchor plate having an upper ornamental sheet supporting face, said upper face of said anchor plate having downwardly extending marginal portions, the edges of said downwardly extending marginal portions having prongs which extend upwardly toward said frame ange and substantially transversely through said marginal portions of said sheet to hold said sheet snugly against said upper face of said anchor plate and against displacement so that said sheet conforms to the contour of said upper face, said frame flange overlying said prongs and clamping said prongs and said marginal portions of said sheet between itself and said upper surface of said link body, the edge of said flange forming said opening located below the uppermost portion of said sheet, said frame member having means fastening the same to said link body with said prongs and said marginal portions of said sheet clamped between said frame flange and said tink body, said frame ange extending in a direction generally transverse to the direction in which said prongs extend, the ends of said prongs facing said frame flange, the clamping force exerted by said frame flange being directed downwardly in a direction substantially opposite to the upward direction in which said prongs extend and toward said ends of said prongs, said fastening means comprising a flange extending downwardly from said frame ange, said downwardly extending flange having a portion extending under said link body.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 375,629 VI-eidmann Dec. 27, 1887 454,266 Gotendorf June 16, 1891 1,220,468 Smith Mar. 27, 1917 1,395,594 Pfederle Nov. 1, 1921 1,440,771 Devendor Jan. 2, 1923 1,571,533 Valcourt Feb. 2, 1926 1,664,280 Augenstein Mar. 27, 1928 1,670,663 Johnson May 22, 1928 1,701,610 Forstner Feb. 12, 1929 1,833,013 Anderson Nov. 24, 1931 1,934,653 Arthur Nov. 7, 1933 1,937,700 l'ohnson Dec. 5, 1933 2,040,365 Diehl et al. May 12, 1936 2,513,182 Koehl .Tune 27, 1950 2,602,975 Wolfe July 15, 1952 2,805,541 Vastano Sept. 10, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 408,015 Germany Ian. 7, 1925 140,402 Australia Mar. 6, 1951 

